Multi-element energy-conducting structures and method of making the same

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MAKING A FUSED ENERGY-CONDUCTING STRUCTURE HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF JUXTAPOSED LONG AND THIN ENERGY-CONDUCTING GUIDES EXTENDING FROM ONE END TOWARD THE OTHER END THEREOF UTILIZING A ROLLING MILL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PLACING A MULTIPLICITY OF ENERGY-CONDUCTING FIBERS EACH CLAD WITH A GLASS HAVING A RELATIVELY LOW SOFTENING TEMPERATURE AND COEFFICIENT OF EXPANSION IN SIDE-BY-SIDE BUNDLED RELATIONSHIP LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN A TUBULAR SUPPORTING MEMBER FORMED OF A METAL HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER SOFTENING TEMPERATURE AND COEFFICIENT OF EXPANSION THAN SAID GLASS, SAID FIBERS BEING IN SUCH NUMBER AND OF SUCH DIAMETER AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY FILL SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, THERE BEING UNDESIRED INTERSTICES CONTAINING AIR AND GASES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAID FIBERS, HEATING THE ASSEMBLY OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND FIBERS TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO SOFTEN AND FUSE CLADDINGS TOGETHER AND ROLLING SAID HEATED ASSEMBLY UNDER COMPRESSION PROGRESSIVELY FROM ONE END TOWARD THE OTHER END THEREOF TO A REDUCED CROSSSECTIONAL SIZE, THE REDUCTION IN SIZE BEING OF AN AMOUNT AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE CLOSURE OF SAID INTERSTICES PROGRESSIVELY ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE ASSEMBLY AND SIMULTANEOUS LONGITUDINAL EXTRUSION OF AIR AND GASES THEREIN IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ADJOINMENT AND FUSION OF PORTIONS OF SAID CLADDINGS ALONG SAID INTERSTICES AS SAID ASSEMBLY IS ROLLED.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF MAKING A FUSED ENERGY-CONDUCTING STRUCTURE HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF JUXTAPOSED LONG AND THIN ENERGY-CONDUCTING GUIDES EXTENDING FROM ONE END TOWARD THE OTHER END THEREOF UTILIZING A ROLLING MILL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PLACING A MULTIPLICITY OF ENERGY-CONDUCTING FIBERS EACH CLAD WITH A GLASS HAVING A RELATIVELY LOW SOFTENING TEMPERATURE AND COEFFICIENT OF EXPANSION IN SIDE-BY-SIDE BUNDLED RELATIONSHIP LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN A TUBULAR SUPPORTING MEMBER FORMED OF A METAL HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER SOFTENING TEMPERATURE AND COEFFICIENT OF EXPANSION THAN SAID GLASS, SAID FIBERS BEING IN SUCH NUMBER AND OF SUCH DIAMETER AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY FILL SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, THERE BEING UNDESIRED INTERSTICES CONTAINING AIR AND GASES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAID FIBERS, HEATING THE ASSEMBLY OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND FIBERS TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO SOFTEN AND FUSE CLADDINGS TOGETHER AND ROLLING SAID HEATED ASSEMBLY UNDER COMPRESSION PROGRESSIVELY FROM ONE END TOWARD THE OTHER END THEREOF TO A REDUCED CROSSSECTIONAL SIZE, THE REDUCTION IN SIZE BEING OF AN AMOUNT AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE CLOSURE OF SAID INTERSTICES PROGRESSIVELY ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE ASSEMBLY AND SIMULTANEOUS LONGITUDINAL EXTRUSION OF AIR AND GASES THEREIN IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ADJOINMENT AND FUSION OF PORTIONS OF SAID CLADDINGS ALONG SAID INTERSTICES AS SAID ASSEMBLY IS ROLLED.